The Recent Floods.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7857, 27 June 1905, Page 2

The R ecent Floods.

■V-■ •. " DREDGEMKK DB/QWNED. (For Press Association.) MUHCHISON. June 3ft. Continuous warm rain has daused th# largest flood known for years. The Buller dredge a t Fern FJrt t broke irojn its ujH.it t-ho ; Quid was at its height at dawn on I Saturday. Four men vm uljoard. Two, Uddico&t and Craig, nttemi'i.ed io get ashore, and were Brajnuß* Tilt? other two Errick and Alenzios, luaiiugifl to swim ashore. Mr JJdrtiaat was manager of t4if diedgv. He loaves a widow and child. GHEYMOITH, June 26. 'I" c loss in 'own is lot* ttinii whs at first expected, but ut is very extensive. Most of the ditJdges arc more of' les* aflecud. The duller, Junction, Btackwfcter. and Aldinger dredges have been washed away. The approaches to the lilnrkbull l.iidtfp have been wtadhed away. No damage to shipping is report•l. There arc 26 feet of water 0i Iths bar, and shipping .opera) ions havo iM«a resumed.

DHEDGES CARRIED AWAY. A SCOW STKANDED. WESTPOHT, June 2Q. The floo'l in the Bullcr Ilivcr was the highest known. The town' was slightly flooded in places, and Bcveral fai»ili«« had to Jo&ve their Jumics, but not much damage was done In town. Settlers in thq country lost a Con-

■uderablo quantity of stock. Report's from up the Uuller River j tlxo w that very considerable damage nan done by Saturday's flood. The Fern Flat drodge was sunk, and two lives went lost, lite Duller Junction dredgo was carried three miles dowfi the river and deposited in Hr Cronwell's paddock. The Welcome dredge was carried down the ••iver for two miles and stranded in an awkward position. The bridge at WMtecHfla was carried away, and a wanKout occurred at Berlins, preventing tihe running of the mail coach serviee.

The river rose to a great height, the top of Fern Arch and wuiplotely submerging several of the tfjegraph poles. The scow Haere, when leaving KafiUltea oil Thursday with a cargo of Klecpcrs, ran egroutrtf at tho mouth of the rJVer. The major portion of • he sleeper Was discharged, and the vessel was taken back Jutft inside the {lveri Hfcro she lay till Friday when the heavy gale dnove he* nithor up stream, and the -water 'Uinjr rapidly >-lic was left high and dry on aM island. HEAVY LOSS OF STOCK. CHJUSTCHURCH, June 28. Reports received to-day Say that many cattle and sheep have fieen jrownfcd. It is impossible to give the figures till the water peoedas.'tout it cannot lie doubted that the lot)* of slock is very large. THE FfeRN FLAT FATALITtY. HOKITIKA, June 2«. The man named' Craig who wei drowned- fijom the Fern Flat Dredge only went to Westporti from here last Monday to look for wfork. lie wait a ■•went, arrival hei* from the North Island, (mil a, prominent member ot the Citizens Hand, in' which ho took part in tho recent eon Dost.